Our Answer
by DiceDomino
Summary: The troubles and tribulations of a foreign Au'ri woman, and her deep dark secret
1. Love

_Love_

The tiny Au'ra opened her arms to the apparition, the dark smoke seeping from both of them  
"Fray, come here"  
"Im not Fray, Wisteria.."  
"It doesn't matter who you are, come here"  
"I'm you. The dark bits in your heart, the darkness calling out wanting control. You've beat me. Why would you want me any closer? I'm your Esteem, the part of you no one wants to have"  
"Come here Esteem. Let me hold you"  
The woman slumped over, holding her body and grimacing  
"If you aren't going to come to me, I'll come to you"

The girl slowly stepped towards the woman, stopping as soon as she was directly in front of her.  
"Why are you so..nice to me..why are you so nice to everyone? They don't ever do anything for you in return. It's fruitless to be so kind, especially to me"  
"..you might be right, it is fruitless, and they won't ever do anything to repay it but.."  
"So why bother?! You can still give in..you can still leave me in control Wisteria!"  
Her outraged cry pained her

"I won't give you control of me, Fr-...i won't. But I will accept you, I won't erase you or destroy you." the girl replied. She bent down to be near the collapsed woman's level.  
"Don't bother. Just hate me, like everyone else does. Even a Dark Knight hates the darkness in them, the source of their power"

Wisteria's eyes teared up

"I should hate you, Esteem, I should. But...you're me, you're a part of me. I can't hate you, i've had enough of hating myself. For things I couldn't control, for things in the past that won't truly be my fault. You know it too.. you're me aren't you?"  
"Wis-"  
Wisteria grabbed the woman's hands clutching them tightly with her own, her eyes spilling the tears she had desperately tried to keep in, caving forward towards the apparition  
"Why do you cry?" The woman asked "Come..you know what's next"  
"Fray…." The sobbing girl whimpered  
"We both know I'm not Fray, you said my name yourself. Stand up, and let's finish this"  
They slowly stood, the woman dragging the shaking weak girl up with her.

"I don't hate you"  
"I know you don't"  
The woman freed her hands and took a step back.  
"This is the last time, Wisteria. Come now"  
The girl reached her hand out to the woman, staring at the cold ground beneath her, attuning to the woman.  
"Don't waste your tears on me. I am nothing more than-"  
"Me"  
Wisteria looked up, staring into the woman's eyes, a perfect mirror of hers.  
More dark smoke poured out of the woman, as she was attuned to, slowly beginning to disappear. Her eyes glassed over as she spoke  
"Embrace the darkness Wisteria, let it teach you one last time"  
And she was gone.

"Esteem? Where are you? It's so dark.."

"I'm right here Wisteria"  
Esteem took her hand, pressing her back against the girls to show her where she was  
"This is the last time you'll see me. But I want you to know"

"If you shall ever need relinquish control to me. I'll be here"  
Esteem squeezed her hand.

"I'll always be here"

"Wisteria! Wake up! Wake up!"

They shook her body in desperation , trying to regain her consciousness.  
She opened her eyes, blurry faces swimming as she woke up. The cold stone underneath her had chilled her armor, she had been lying on the floor for far too long  
"Wisteria, stay with us! You there, you are to never speak of what happened here, understood?!"  
The knights nodded their heads in confirmation, clutching their weapons close, and muttering among themselves

"Can you stand Wisteria?"  
She shifted her eyes towards the speaker, closing them before taking a close look at his face.  
"I'm fine, I'll get up"  
She struggled to sit up, grimacing from the sudden aches and pains from her injuries.  
"At least let me help you u-"  
"Leave me be!"  
She snapped, her face contorting into sudden anger  
The man was taken aback, discomfort suddenly taking root  
"I'm sorry. I'm not..i just need space." She said  
He nodded, standing up from his position and slowly walking off, turning to look at her one last time.


	2. Wound

_**Wound**_

Her thoughts wandered to the people waiting for her at home. How she wanted to be there, with people she loved. The pain of her teacher being her sudden enemy, and then disappearing only to be part of her had begun to seep in.

Snow began to fall, chilling her face as it melted on her exposed skin and collecting on her frigid armor. How long had she been here in Whitebrim Front?  
She unsteadily rose to her feet, the bystanders turning her way.

" _I want to go home"_ She thought, and as she readied her teleport, someone stopped her

"Wisteria! Wait, please!" a man called out

She stopped forward, cross with the interruptor

" I need your help, I'm sorry to ask of this now but..follow me, please"

She so desperately wanted to ask "Can't it wait till later?" But knowing those who call upon her, it could not. She nodded at the man, and proceeded to follow him

The snow fell in increasing heaviness, piling on Wisteria's armor and sliding off with any drastic movements. Her hair was now damp as she trailed the man

"What is it you needed, Sir?" Annoyance coating her words. It was rare she was angry, but she was exhausted and wanted to go home

"Madame Wisteria..i apologize but..

Eorzea can't have their prized champion be a crazed lunatic such as yourself. I'm afraid you must die"

As the man finished his words, two lackeys grabbed her shoulders from behind. She hadn't bothered to look back, and was unknowingly tailed by these two

"Tch"

"Die, heathen!" The man cried out, drawing his sword and charging at her

She wrestled free, drawing her own sword and plunging into one of the men holding her. She had no time to attune to the darkness in her, and was less powerful than she wanted to be in that moment. She couldn't prepare to fight, leaving her weaker to their attacks.

She pulled the sword free from the man's body, blood spraying from wound and coating her sword and armor. She felt the sword pierce her side and cried out in pain.

"No!"

She fell over. Clutching at the wound, coating her hands in her own blood. She hadn't be the one to cry out that time. Instead the men who had attacked her.

Their bodies had fallen over as well, one missing its head and one completely disemboweled. The snow was stained in guts and fluids, an unholy gore.

A gruff voice bit into the air.

"What are you doing?"

She turned her body, now completing laying in the snow, towards the speaker. She rose, blood gushing from the injury in her side, her arms struggling to support her weight

"I'm…"

"Im going home" she declared.


	3. Reprise

_**Reprise**_

She fell on her knees, the teleport dropping her on the landing at the top of the stairs. She shrieked loudly, the sudden drop hurting her knees and ripping any clotted blood open.

"Wist? Wist is that you?" A girl's voice called out, hidden from her voice. A Mi'qote's face peered from around the gate, delicately built and framed by her hair, long and curly

"Oh my god! Wist!"

Horror had stricken the girl's face, her ears rising up to more clearly express her emotion, although an unnecessary act for it was clearly written out by her expression

"What happened Sweetie?! Oh my god you're hurt!" She knelt down towards Wisteria, her fingers lightly prodding the wound. Wist held in a shriek, muffled noises escaping her gritted teeth.

"Sync.. Sync help me in..inside" she panted, things swimming before her eyes. How much blood did she lose? She didn't know..

Sync lifted her up, and nearly dragged her in. Although the door wasnt quite far away from the gate, it felt like an eternity to her before she got there. Her fingers shook as she turned the doorknob, shoving it open with her shoulder and cursing the other unopened door for being obtrusive, especially now

The White Mage gingerly helped Wist down, setting the tiny Au'ra on the steps inside. Her healing magic might not be enough to completely close that wound, despite being a very powerful healer. She pulled out her staff, the weapon shaking as she tightly clutched it.

"You'll be ok.. You'll be ok Wist I promise"

The healer lifted the staff above her, hoping she had enough Mana for..something, anything!

The magic swirled around the room, and then around them, and finally her staff before she dispelled it into an array of light. Sync closed her eyes, afraid to see if it worked, but the concern for her friend overwhelmed that fear, and she opened them shortly.

The spell had finished casting, taking only a short second. Color had returned to the Au'ri's face, although it was grimy with filth.

"Sync..I'm sorry if I worried you"

The Mi'qote's ears dropped down, flattening against her head

"Why were you hurt?! Please, don't ever do whatever got you hurt again!"

The Au'ri' forced a laugh, her voice sluggish as she drifted off on the stairs

"No promises."


	4. Dream

_**Dream**_

" _Mommy, Mommy! Will you help me read this?"_

 _A small girl held out a book in front of her, the spine made of leather eaten through, the tome worn by age. No doubt she had picked something difficult to read  
_ " _I'm sorry Wizelterra, Mommy is busy right now. Can you ask Daddy to instead?"_

 _A pale woman turned towards her child, her hand holding a Grimoire. She had been busy preparing for battle before her child had interrupted her, and now she would have to recast her summoning spell_

" _Daddy says he's busy too.." The Child's voice drifted off, her disappointment very clear to the woman. She lowered her head to 'study' the floor, very obviously trying to hide it_

 _She knelt down next to her daughter, her long hair now spilling onto the floor as she gingerly placed her hand on her child's shoulder_

" _Why don't you wait till me and Daddy come back? Then we can both help you read together, ok?"_

 _The little girl looked up, smiling at her mother_

" _Promise?"_

" _-"_

Wisteria bolted up, gasping, and hit her head on the coffin's lid. She cursed herself for her choice in bed in that moment, rubbing the throbbing area as soon as she laid back down.

Someone had been kind enough to bring her to her room, and to even close the coffin so the morning light wouldn't disturb her as she rested. A unexpected gesture, but not an uncommon one

A groan escaped her lips, more parts of her body aching and throbbing as she shifted to open the Mhachi Coffin. The lid seemed a lot heavier as she pushed it open, splitting it into two parts.

Sunlight streamed into her bed, the slight warmth making her sigh. She was always happy to feel it on her skin, wherever and whenever it was.

Slight chatter could be heard from outside her door. She began to wonder who was out there, and what for. Wisteria swung her legs over the side of the bed, feeling the plush carpet underneath her feet as she walked over to the door

"What's all the commotion for?"

Several familiar faces turned to look at her, unaware that she had opened the door. The one that stuck out the most was her Free Company's leader, Behemoth King. Although more affectionately referred to as 'BK' by everyone

"Oh good, you're up now. I guess we can stop crowding around in front of your room, yeah?" BK offered her a smile, although she could tell he was likely the most worried

A tall Au'ra pushed through the small crowd, desperate to get to the front and closer to Wist. His Unruly hair pushed back and his eyes wide and wild, both a striking red and black

"Wist! What happened to you!?" He asked, bending down to bring the relatively small girl into a hug. Despite being the same race, he was almost twice her size, if not taller.

"Magnum..Too tight!" Wist winced, her ribs feeling slightly crushed as he hugged her. He let her go once she said that, and instead grabbed her by the shoulders

"Tell me what happened Wist, why did Sync come to me, near tears? And you better not lie to me because I **will** find out"

Magnum's face had hardened. His concern was an intense when it was brought about, and there wasn't any fooling around with him

"Later, Magnum. Okay?"


	5. Min'nuet

_**Min'nuet**_

Wisteria cradled the Chocobo's head in her hands, stroking its soft feathers with her thumb. She promised to tell Magnum what had happened to her but it felt almost _wrong_ to explain everything that happened..what she had been doing in Whitebrim Front and..

The Bird chirped at her, breaking her thought. Min'nuet had picked up on her discomfort and wanted her attention. It kept chirping at her until she stroked its beak and forced a chuckle.

The chirps died down, and instead the bird nudged its beak into her hand. Min'nuet was fond of it's trainer, and was one of the most loyal mounts Wisteria had encountered. She began to scratch under its neck lightly, causing the bird to wark in joy. She fondly began to recall how she first obtained Min'nuet..

Their first meeting was quite an odd one. In the first days of Wisteria's arrival to Eorzea, she had been sent to Ul'dah to be issued a Grand Company Chocobo, having chosen to affiliate with the Flames

She went to the stables in the grand city, handing the Lalafell the order form required for ownership of the bird.

"One second Ma'am, i need to fetch a Chocobo of your..size" the Stablehand said, smiling up at her before turning to go inside. Wisteria let out a sigh, she didn't much care for Ul'dah and preferred spending her time elsewhere

Loud cries and screeching were heard from the stable, startling Wisteria. She snapped her attention towards the stable, to see both the Stable Hand and a Petite Chocobo run out, the bird being chased by the lalafell

"Come back you unruly bird! How'd you get out this time?!" They cried out, responded to with loud bird calls as the bird attempted to elude capture. The reins dangling from its neck were quickly grabbed by the Lala, and the bird was forced to halt its romp around.

"I'm sorry about that Ma'am. I'll go fetch your bird now." the Stablehand said, giving the reins a tug, and receiving a loud angry wark in return

"No..I'll take that one"

The Stable Hand gave her a stunned face, confused as to why the Au'ra would want an unruly bird such as this one

"But Ma'am, it's not properly trained yet. It was sent here to be held to make room for other, easily trained birds. It won't follow commands and it doesn't even respond to a whistle yet. Surely you don't want _this_ one!"

"No..I want that one, and i won't take anything but that one" she said, her mind now set on having this Chocobo as her own. Even if it was on an impulse, she wanted this one, and none other.

The Stable Hand slowly led the bird towards her, handing her the reins when close enough to, promptly giving her another curious face.

"Well..Good Luck! Dont say I didnt warn you!"

The Stable Hand gave her a quick improper salute, and then a wave as she led her new mount out of the city. The bird looked around in utmost curiosity of its surroundings, letting out small noises here and there. They traveled to the outskirts of the city, and once far away enough Wisteria was prepared to properly ride her new Mount.

"Ok..How do i get on you?"

The bird chirped at her. Maybe commanding it to kneel would do it?

"Kneel!" she said, trying to sound as stern as she could. The Bird gave out an annoyed wark, unhappy to be commanded to do something

"Kneel?" She tried again. The Bird did not lower its body for her

"Oh come on, there's something to get you to go down low enough so i can get on You!" she huffed. Maybe gently forcing the bird down would do it? It was always worth a try..

Wisteria placed her hands on side of the bird, trying to drag it down. When that didn't work, she instead placed her hands on top of it and tried to force it down. The Chocobo pecked her, angry at the forceful touch

"Ow! Why you little-!" She shouted, angry at the lack of progress. She had things to do today and this Chocobo was not making her life any easier. She grabbed its reins and instead dragged the bird along the hot sands and terrain of the desert, the sun bearing down on them both, tugging the reins sharply when the bird resisted her

The day began to grow hotter and hotter, causing Wisteria to break a sweat. She groaned as she wiped her forehead. It was unbearable! She didn't know how long she had to reach her destination, and was longing for the cool shady trees of Gridania's forests.

"Maybe I can head back around and get on the airship…" she muttered, turning around and weakly tugging at the reins to her mount. The leather was no longer cool and supple, and instead was warm and sticky from sweat. Wisteria let go and wiped her hands on her light armor, which had become scalding to the touch.

She led the bird back to U'ldah, annoyed that she had to walk double the amount she just did, and then some. She found herself wanting to ride the bird to speed up the process.

"Are you gonna let me on you?" She asked her mount, standing still for a moment. When she received no reply besides a nasally huff, she started to walk once more

"Augh!" She cried out, kneeling over on the steps to the city. By the time she had arrived, night had befallen them, but not quick enough. Wisteria's hair was damp, and clung together. It felt disgusting

The guards by the gate made no movements at the noise. She assumed they had dozed off once night hit, and she wished to join them, slumbering in the cool desert air.

"C'mon" she whispered, pulling her Chocobo towards her gently. She wasn't allowed to have any kind of mount out in the city, and until she could use a whistle to summon the bird, she would have to have it with her. The two slowly crept beyond the gate.

The city wasn't exactly _teeming_ with life or excitement at this hour. Shops had closed up for the night, and all she really heard was hustle and bustle from the Adventurer's guild. Surely she could get to the airships undetected.

She quietly walked around the city, towards her destination. Her steps were as quiet as they could possibly be in her clunky armor. She duly noted to pick up a different set later.

She finally reached the elevators, and was happy to see the Lift keeper was asleep, leaning against the wall, arms folded. She pressed the button to call down the lift and shoved the bird inside. The longer she took, the higher the risk she took of being caught. She quickly jammed the button to the airship floor, silently wishing the doors would close faster.

The lift slowed to a stop, doors opening to a nearly empty landing. From inside the elevator Wist could only make out the airship attendant and a somewhat dozing captain. She led the Chocobo towards the attendant, lightly tapping his shoulder

He gave her a shifty look once he spotted her and the bird. The attendant was in no mood to deal with anything at the current moment, and simply waved her along with a sigh.

She pushed the Chocobo onto the steps to the ship, and then to very back so as to not be spotted in the dark. Wisteria re-arranged some of the cargo and very quietly commanded it to sit, not surprised when the bird refused to.

She gently poked the captain, who was now fully asleep at the wheel, his body quite literally slumped onto it. The position looked most uncomfortable. The captain grunted, slowly lifting himself up.

"Aye..whad'dya want?" he said groggily, rubbing his eyes, and then stretching. He gave her a side-eyed look, lids heavy.

"Can you take me to Gridania?" she asked.

The memory hadn't really ended there, rather, was cut short by her companion pecking her hand and tugging on her finger to refocus attention back to her. She yelped, startled more than pained and pet the bird again.

The door to the house creaked open, and out came Magnum and Sync together, chatting quietly.

She rose her hand up in a half hearted wave, catching their attention. She gestured them over. Now was as good a time as any right?

"What is it, sweetie?" the curious mi'qote asked, her ears twitching gently. One could see the sheer amount of concern on her face, and Wisteria knew what she was gonna say would not really ease her at all.

"Magnum wanted to know what happened, I figured you did too?"

" _Ah..but..how do I avoid telling them what I was really doing_ " her face creased while she thought briefly.

Magnum folded his arm, the cloth and metal rubbing together as he did so. He raised an eyebrow, as if to say "Well?"

"I just..had gotten attacked is all. Some bastards up in Coerthas sought to take me down, something about me being a heretic?" She offered that last part weakly. The pair exchanged a glance before Sync shrugged

"It _is_ Coerthas after all. Are you all right now?"

Wisteria laughed.

"All I got out of it was a good thrashing, some major blood loss and a nasty scar. Ill be ok"

She flashed Sync a toothy grin. Everything was just fine.


	6. Parember

_**Parember**_

Wisteria let out a longing sigh. She was supposed to be meeting up with someone today, and was almost nervous from anticipation.

Parember Kennard was a fellow adventurer she had met in her first few days in Eorzea, encountering a very lost Wist in Limsa Lominsa, unsure of her surroundings and this unfamiliar place she was in. It was an opportune chance for remembering at the moment, she thought, while she waited for the aforementioned woman.

"Hey, you. What, are you lost?"

The adventurer loomed over her, since she had sat down by the Aetheryte crystal outside the Marauders Guild.

The woman before her was an Auri with sharp pointed horns and almond eyes. Her face was generously covered with scales. Something about her seemed very fierce. Her appearance, or stance or perhaps the large axe strapped to her back.

"Well?" She asked again.

Wisteria gulped. Her voice caught in her throat when she tried to reply, so she instead nodded.

The woman sighed, reaching back to fiddle with her hair, which was thrown up into a ponytail. She looked at the Au'ra on the ground and spoke again

"Do you need me to show you around Limsa?"

Wisteria didn't understand at first what she was talking about. She assumed 'Limsa' was the place she was currently in, the place where the sea air bit into her lungs. At times she could taste the salt when she breathed.

Wisteria nodded again, slowly rising to her feet. She stood at the same height as the woman, their race's women being quite small compared to others. The woman extended her hand in a brisk movement, causing her to jump.

" You are?"

Wisteria's voice came out weaker than expected, she had become incredibly bashful.

"Wisteria…", she slowly reached out to shake the woman's hand, having it gripped tightly and shaken vigorously

"Names Kennard! Parember Kennard!" The woman said, smiling. Her face was no longer hard and pointed, but instead a soft gentleness had taken over. The woman wasn't as intimidating as she was before, though she still retained her strong stance. It was now filled with an unseen energy, one that manifested in a soft smile. "Well?" she asked, dropping her hand, "Do you need me to show you around?".

Wisteria nodded, "It would be much appreciated. I'm having trouble getting from place to place"

She forced a chuckle.

After a long trip around the city, she had become somewhat familiar with her surrounding, having a general sense of where everything was. They sat in the bar, cozying up at a table to catch their breath and converse among themselves. Wisteria twiddled her thumbs. She hadn't grown up interacting with many people, and the idea of casual conversation was lost to her.

"So where you from?" Parember asked, breaking the awkward air they both had created. They had ordered lunch and settled down to eat it while they conversed among themselves, but nothing of the sort had been happening. Wisteria quietly cut off another piece of eft tail before popping it into her mouth, chewing while she thought.

"Somewhere..far" she said hesitantly, shuddering at the cold memories of her past home. It was indeed somewhere far, taking a great many days of travel to reach here. Somewhere east, maybe, or north. She was unclear on the location relevant to Eorzea, but she did know the trip was long and harrying, and one she would prefer not to make again.

Parember thought about this for a second. If she had been from Doma, she would have said so. An Au'ra of Doman descent wasn't rare, but one who wasn't' was.

"Doma?" she asked.

Wisteria shook her head, "No not Doma, closer to Eorzea than Doma." she replied absentmindedly. Something had no longer sat right with her. Her stomach wasnt knotting up, and she held her fork deadly still in front of her face. She didn't know the name of her homeland, not even in her native tongue, It had never been brought up.

Someone slunk into the chair next to her, making herself comfortable in the chair

"Parember has a lady friend? How unusual"

The woman propped her head up in her hands, elbows resting on the table. Her face was sharp in shape, but the features were smooth and almost delicate, like you could break them. She had black horns that pointed backwards, and were smooth and sleek. She batted her eyes at Parember, a placid grin on her face

"My my, isn't she quite lovely?" the new womans voice was soft and sweet, syrupy almost. Wisteria blushed at the comment, averting the gaze of the woman. Gently she set down the silverware.

She took a quick glance at the Au'ra beside her. Her face was gently and sparsely coated in scales, her cheek patterns make sharp arcs that framed it almost. Her eyes were white, and one of the iris was surrounded by a red ring, a common defining trait for her kind. Her skin was deathly pale, she appeared almost dead. Like the ghost of a corpse, frail and thin, and gentle.

The woman's eyes shifted over to her, and she offered a small, yet smug smile. Over Brimmed with confidence, as if she knew Wisteria would steal glances at her. Her face flushed even more as she averted her gaze quickly, shifting it over to Parember

Parember looked quite unhappy at the woman's sudden intrusion, a scowl set deeply into her face.

"Oh, it's you." she said bitterly, furrowing her brow even more. Yes, Parember was quite unhappy with this unwanted "guest" sitting at the table

The woman giggled, her laughter soft and bubbly. "Parember you're such a stick in the mud!" she exclaimed.

"And you're a pain in the ass, Wild"

Wild was taken aback, her face flashing an expression of surprise for a brief moment, before settling back into her smile. She let out a displeased noise, a long note.

"So rude, so rude~. Im truly not a pain am I?" she asked sweetly, her voice dripping with the emotion. It seemed almost fake to Wisteria

Parember tilted her head to the side, a gesture asking "What do you think?". Wild huffed.

"I hope your friend isn't as rude as you are" she chirped, turning her whole body now towards Wisteria. She gently pressed her hands into her lap, and stared at her with wide, expecting eyes, as if begging her to defend her. Wisteria gritted her teeth, a wince from the awkward air that had suddenly reformed..

"Don't be shy now~" she cooed, leaning forward a little, staring directly into her eyes. She fluttered her eyes innocently, trying to goad an answer from her

"Uh..uhm.." Wisteria mumbled, she couldn't find any words to say to the woman, who so eagerly awaited an answer from her

"Aren't you busy with something Wild?" Parember asked, noticing her discomfort. Her face had clouded over, an unreadable expression on her face.

"Oh uh..yeah" Wild stammered now. She had been caught off guard by the question, and fumbled for an answer. "I really should attend to that now, shouldn't I?" She shifted nervously. "I'll be going then..I hope to see you again" she said, a grin stuck to her face.

"Bye, Wild." Parember stated, as if to dismiss her. She got the message and briskly walked away from the table.

"I'm sorry about that" she said to Wisteria. " I don't mean to be rude or anything to her but.. she is an..interesting person." she looked behind her, twisting her body to fully look.

She turned her attention back again.  
"Dammit, the food got cold."


	7. Invitation

_**Invitation**_

Parember thought for a second, closing her eyes to think better.

Wild's interruption to their lunch had soured her mood, and she ate her lukewarm meal in bitter silence. She drummed her fingers on the edge of the table, furrowing her brow

"Are you alright?" Her voice asked sweetly. She forced a smile in an attempt to ease the woman's worry.

"I'm alright, don't worry" she ceased drumming, looking up at Wisteria. Her face was creased, head slightly tilted, as if to ask something more. Parember waved her hand dismissively. It was not a worrisome matter, simply a slight annoyance. "Really, dont worry. Its nothing"

Wisteria looked down at her lap briefly, before returning to Parember. A bright smile replaced the worry now, a much better expression for her.  
"Say, shall we keep looking around? There's still the residential districts I can show you"

Wisteria nodded, getting up and delicately pushing her chair into the table.

The sea air blew on them, a warm breeze swishing Parembers hair. In the distance, the ocean crashed into the sand with distant noises and along the pier. It was a scenic sight

"Wow!" Wisteria exclaimed, gripping the railing of the landing as she leaned forward for a better view. "You live right by the ocean?"

"I don't live here, it's just where my Free Company house is. I have a room there that I occasionally sleep in but really, i'm just an inn-hopper" she chuckled.

"Free Company?" Wisteria asked, leaning against the railing now. Her attention was still directed at the ocean, a misty look on her face. Her voice seemed nonchalant.

"Just a gathering of people really, like the smaller Grand Companies for the city states I guess" she replied, turning to look at the beach. The water was a striking blue in the sun, crystal clear. You could see the wildlife darting around in the water. Although, the waterfront was oddly deserted. She turned to look at the right, and saw no one by the market board or summoning bell. It was a bit odd to her, but not an impossible sight.

"Do you wanna see the house?". Wisteria snapped her attention to her, her face reflecting a broken chain of thought. She nodded, straightening up from the rail, stretching lightly. "Which way is it?" She asked, her voice straining as she stretched. "Just follow me, it's not very far from right here really". Parember turned towards a pathway on her side, walking towards the Board she saw earlier, and going up the upward landing. She walked up another set of stairs into a well decorated yard, stopping at the arch way. A sign next to her swung lightly in the breeze that picked up again. The Eorzean script was neatly printed on it, and Wisteria caught a few of the words from the corner of her eye

"Notorious Monsters?" she asked, turning towards Parember. Parember nodded, "That's what he calls us anyways. I never really understood why.". She walked towards to door on a delicate stone path, gripping the handle of one of the giant wooden doors

"Inside?" Wisteria asked nervously.

"Well of course, I'm not just gonna show you the outside, that'd be rude" she replied, pushing the door open with a loud booming creak.

The inside of the house was dimly light by some adorned hand lanterns and a crackling fireplace, shadowed by plush couches. Bookshelves arched high, filled to the brim with different kinds of literature, some nearly falling out. Two sets of stairs led to the basement and second floor, both darker than the rooms themselves. Wisteria blinked, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the dimness.

Parember began to climb the stairs to the second floor, a stair or two creaking under her weight. She motioned for Wisteria to follow with a head nod, offering a small smile to go with it.

The upstairs wasn't as extravagantly decorated as the downstairs, going more for the far eastern theme than anything. A stove sat against one of the back walls, and in the corner was a table adorned with a heavy blanket. It was decorated in a leaf like pattern.

The room's bamboo mats bent slightly as she stepped on them , groaning from the weight. The sound of gently flowing water filled the room, and a steaming heat struck her almost immediately. Directly behind her was a tub of hot water, something for relaxation she assumed. Another wall was decorated with small replica statues. She took in the scenery briefly, before turning to address Parember, who was standing near the doors.

"Basement next?" the woman asked. Wisteria replied with a nod, making her way towards the stairs and climbing down them. As she stepped onto the midway landing, she noticed a very large man crouching on the floor, resting on one knee in a kneel, sewing carefully but quickly. He was completely absorbed in his work.

"Hello, Star", Parember greeted him with a more formal tone than normal, but with a smile that expressed familiarity. The man looked back at her, his elven ears peeking out from a mess of purple and blue hair. He tugged at the thread sharply, and set down his craft, standing. He bowed politely, before asking

"Who's this?", his voice came out smooth and soft, and any official or cold tone Wisteria noticed about him turned into a timid shy one. The elf avoided direct eye contact with her, taking quick peeks at her before focusing on his hands, or the wall. Wisteria gave him a small smile

"This is Wisteria. I was showing her around Limsa and thought I might as well show her the Mist. And...the house" She said sheepishly.

"Do you like it?" he paused. "The house, I mean. I admit the basement is a..disorganized mess" he looked around, prompting Wisteria to as well. It certainly was a disorganized mess. A moogle themed chandelier hung from the ceiling, swaying gently. Many couches sat littered around the room, with a table sat in front of them. At the very end of the room, tucked away in the corner, a small bar sat with three stools to accompany it. A Raen maid was comfortably sat behind it, in easy reach of many liquor bottles. Next to the bar was a makeshift stage, with mock spotlights aimed at it. The room was a special kind of organized chaos.

'Don't mind this room" The elf said. "It's called the Rumpus Room for a reason' he smiled shyly.

"Ciand, where's BK?" Parember asked

"Thinking of inviting her to join us?" Ciand asked, dropping the smile and trying to simulate a more professional air. He failed miserably. She nodded in response.

"She'd be a nice fit" the elf murmured absentmindedly, lost in thoughts separated from the now.

"We'll see what he says, alright."

Parember nodded.

Wisteria laughed. Reminiscing was such a strange thing to her. She stretched quietly, trying to make herself a bit more comfortable while she waited.

Someone seated themselves next to her, stretching out their legs. She turned her head to sneak a glance at the person, then smiled.

"Well hello Wild. Not gonna say hi to me?"

Wild yawned, drawing her legs up onto the seat and holding them with her arm

"They say silence is the best way to gauge your closeness to someone, in that if two can enjoy the simple absence of conversation together, they'll stay steady friends"

Her voice was particularly airy today, making her sound sleepy. For once the woman was wearing something other than heavy clothing, opting for a light dress and strappy sandals instead.

"Can't really enjoy silence if I don't know who its with" she replied, holding out her hand in gesticulation.

"That's true. What are you doing Wisty?" she asked, scooting much closer to her. It seemed a little odd for her to be doing but was easily written off.

"Im _supposed_ to be doing something with PK today but..y'know. She's always really busy"

Wild wrinkled her face a bit, turning her face away from her to hide it.

"Sometimes I think she's too good to take the day off for anyone."

"Don't say that. You know how it is with the grand companies Wild."

Wild scraped the gravel underneath her with her foot, leaving a large indentation in it.

"She's so high ranking I couldn't imagine it. Not that I really care, all that stuff is prude and _boring_ "

She exaggerated the last bit of her words, drawing them out to add emphasis.

"Why don't you spend the day with me instead, Wisty?"

The woman leaned her body onto hers, her face nearly resting on Wisterias neck. She smiled playfully.

"I wanna tell you something"

Wisteria blinked in surprise

"I promised her, besides we spend a lot of time together as is anyway. Tell me next time ok?"

She tapped her linkpearl impatiently, hoping for Parembers voice to cut in and tell her she was free now. No such luck.

"Alright". Wild frowned, looking up at her almost beggingly before she got up from her relaxed position and sat up straight. Wisteria stood up, smoothing down her own attire.

"See you later", she said, and began to ready a teleport.


	8. Want

_**Want**_

She was jealous, and oh how she hated the feeling.

Parember peeked around the corner, silently gazing at the two in the room beyond, she narrowed her eyes, it was almost painful to watch them. She pressed against the wall harder.  
Just beyond, those two sat at the table in the corner chatting and giggling amongst themselves. It was jarring to see Wild in the company of someone else, especially _her_. Parember grit her teeth in a nasty glare, almost daring her to look over and see her. Her blood boiled at this scene, it felt incredibly unfair to her, that she would be denied something she wanted and went after so early on by _Wild_.

It's not that she hated her, really. Or maybe it was. She put her in her lowest regards because of past deeds, ones that have remained unforgiven to this day. She considered the woman a right _snake_. Untrustworthy in every sense of the word. She twisted her face into a snarl, peering around the corner. A soft giggle echoed into the room, she lightened her expression

Her reason of jealousy wasn't clear to her. It simply rotted away in her. She had grown quite attached to the clueless adventurer she befriended and brought her to the company, and now she almost regretted that decision. She slinked away, tired of spying on them. Bitterly, she clenched her teeth as she walked down the dimly lit hallway

" _Snake_ " she whispered, as she walked along, dragging her hand along the wall. " _Sometimes I think you'd be better off dead."_

Wisteria heard the faint sound of a door closing, her smile suddenly dropping.

"Was someone there?" she whispered, turning towards the hallway in her chair.

"Probably someone wandering out into the hall? I didn't think we were being very loud" Wild replied, her delicate face offering her a weak smile. "If we were I'm sure whoever it was wouldve directly complained to us" She giggled, the sound reminding Wisteria of a little bell.

"That makes sense."

It hadn't been long since her formal induction to the company that the delicate woman from before sought out her company. A late night sit around the yards fire pit sparked a peculiar friendship between the two, and they spent many nights chatting in odd places. The air had become chilly lately, so the two sat inside around a table, sipping warm tea and occasionally chewing on a piece of cake.

The fork gently clicked on the plate as Wild set it down, popping the last bite of a strawberry into her mouth. The red juice stained her fingers vibrantly, her pale skin offering almost no color to her. She quickly licked them off, making a mischievous face as she did.

"Wisty, wanna go somewhere? I'm bored sitting here" she declared, rising from the table and smoothing her shirt down. There was never a time she wasn't dressed in crafters clothing, and today she wore the same.

"Where would we go?" Wisteria asked, scooting her chair back and rising up herself. It had become quite late at night, for someone to go out this late at night was a bit strange..something felt a bit off to her.

"It's a surprise, cmon!" Wild skipped away, towards the front entrance, enticing her to follow.

The Ul'dahn desert was surprisingly warm, considering it was well beyond sunset. Wild skipped across a bridge, making sure to stay in front of Wisteria. She occasionally peered back with a curious back, giving her a tiny smile before returning her gaze to the path she walked. She turned left onto a poorly cobbled walkway, towards a tiny structure.

It was an alcove of sorts, adorned with a cloth next to its main body to serve as some sort of decorative shades. The area was neatly gated off with a makeshift fence, the rope worn and ratty from age. A set of stairs began a somewhat long descent into the canyon below, obscured by a faint mist that had settled there. Wild climbed down a flight briskly, before stopping, and walking onto a section that jutted out behind the next flight. She sat next some sort of pulley, the rope swaying slightly. Wisteria could almost make out a box swinging from it down below.

The boards creaked as Wild sat down, letting her legs dangle off the edge. Wisteria sat beside her, or rather, beside the worn beam next to her. She kept her legs scrunched up into her chest as she sat, fearing she would tip over the edge from her weight if she sat like Wild had.

The wind could only fill so much silence between the two, and soon it became unbearable for Wisteria. She spoke, in a small voice.

"Whats this about, again?", no reply was received.

"Wild?" she asked. Ignored, once more. She peered around the beam.

Wild stared up at the sky, mesmerized almost by the thousands of bright stars that littered it. Her thoughts looked to have carried her far away, and she spoke not a single word nor made any noise. Wild was still.

Wisteria looked up as well, studying the stars as well. The two sat in silence for a long time, the moon had shifted some more. What time was it now? She had gotten close to dozing off there, bolting awake at the sounds she heard come from Wild. Sleepily, she opened her eyes and peered at her.

The womans gaze was locked onto her, and her only. Her face was rigid in seriousness.

"Wisteria."

"Y-yes?" she was nervous now, had she done something wrong? Wilds tone was dead, flat, not a single hint of emotion in it. She turned away, breaking the air she had made and replacing it with one of greater anxiety. She mumbled something.

"Huh..?"

"I said..I..I love you."

The air became stale.


	9. Murder

_**AN: This chapter contains mild gore. Proceed with caution.**_

 _ **Murder**_

The sword pierced the Au'ra's body, her delicate face twisted in agony and shock. Blood gushed from the wound in her stomach, coating her clothes, skin, and the weapon. The red liquid was jarring against her smooth pale skin

"Wisty..why?" She choked, her mouth gurgling more blood, leaking out from her jaw as she spoke. She began to slide down against the wall she was cornered against, finally crashing down when Wisteria pulled out the sword.

The woman's eyes were dyed an unholy red. A deeper color than the fluid stained on her face. Dark smoke was pouring from her skin, clouding the room in its demonic mist

"Wild.." she crooned, a sickening smile plastered on her face.

She erupted into laughter, the sound starting off like the soft tinkling of a bell, and slowly morphing into the howls of a beast like no other

The injured woman trembled, pushing herself further up against the wall. To say she was frightened was a massive understatement. She could only _hope_ to be spared her life in this room.

The red eyes glowed in the black mist now enveloping everything in the room, she was unable to see the figure of the Au'ra she once knew.

"Wisty..Wisty please...don't do this" she called out to the figure she could no longer see clearly. She wanted to live, she desperately wanted to live. She was ready to beg for her life she just wanted to live please she just wanted to live

"Wisty don't…." she whispered, as she watched the figure raise the coated sword once more, pointing the tip towards the woman's throat.

Her last words were spoken into the dead silence. The sound of her throat being pierced, and her screams announced the end of her life.

"Wist have you heard from Wild at all?" A face popped up in front of hers.

Wisteria jumped, she had been sitting in front of the fire pit in their lawn and didn't see nor hear the person coming. She looked towards them to find a familiar face.

"Oh, Mari. No..no I haven't" she shook her head to further reinforce her point

The Mi'qote frowned, crossing her arms as her ears flattened against her head. Mariko Sakurai was one of the few people who had conversed with Wild frequently after leaving their free company. It was quite odd she of all people would ask something like that

"She hasn't talked to you recently?" Wist asked, furrowing her brow.

Mari shook her head. "I keep trying to use our linkpearl but I just don't get a response. I thought maybe she was mad at me or something but..anyone else I ask says they haven't heard from her either"

Mari huffed. Her concern was overwhelming her slowly.

"I don't know, Maybe she's busy?" The Au'ra offered.

"Maybe.." Mari replied.


	10. Blank

_**Blank**_

Wisteria didn't remember. She _couldn't_ remember.

A few hours in her day had gone missing, she couldn't quite remember what she had been doing or where she was during. Even the memory before and after the missing hours were hazy and thick.

She had at first assumed she had just fallen asleep somewhere and woke up disoriented and unsure, so the memory was foggy. But the more she pressed on, the more her sense of dread grew and twisted in her gut. She was uneasy.

She stayed sitting at the Cold Knight's Cook fire, evening soon falling upon her. How long had she been sitting there. After finding herself on the floor in her room, she had come here to think. She didn't want to be enclosed there at all, preferring the vast open air on her skin, no matter how cold it was. She lit the fire to provide her ambience and little warmth while she sat there. Her head rested in her hands, elbows propped up on her knees. She could tell she was in for a long night

" _We both know who did it"_

A whispering voice cut through the silence. Wisteria snapped up, looking around her surroundings for the voice

" _We both know what happened to her"_

"Who's there?!" She called out, now on her feet. A heavy presence hung in the air, it felt almost..

The voice began to laugh. She recognized who it belonged to almost immediately after it began

It was her voice.


	11. Rielle, and Sidurgu

_**Rielle, and Sidurgu**_

Wisteria pushed the door of the tavern opening, feeling the warm rush of air hit her face.

Ishgard and its surrounding areas were unbearably cold, and any heat was always welcome. The tavern air would soon chill over, but she had hoped she wouldn't be there too long.

Something inside her had been _nagging_ her to find the voice she had heard the day she found out the truth about Fray. It was a constant feeling in her, and she could no longer bear to ignore it. It nearly roared when she considered going back home.

She was still unsettled from the night previous. Whenever she had just begun to drift off to sleep, her own jarring laughter would snap her awake, and then taunt her. It left her tired, and more so it left her anxious. Any sudden speaking and she would jolt up

Wisteria knew who that voice was, she figured it out that morning when the nagging feeling returned intensely. No doubt they were both Esteem, who was now very much present in her. She could almost describe it as some kind of phantom hanging around her. At times she thought she could almost feel Esteem's hands on her shoulders, squeezing with an intensity like no other.

The barkeep greeted her with a friendly smile as he polished his mugs. Nearly everyone in Ishgard could recognize her if they looked long enough, she was not a rare face around here. It was a shame Wisteria was not a fan of the people nor place.

She surveyed the bar, one of the last few places she thought of looking in. Not having any information on who she was looking for besides a fuzzy idea of what they _sounded_ like did not make for an easy search.

Near the stairs, packed away in the corner of the room she spotted two people. They were hanging behind the table, standing instead of lounging in the chairs like the rest of the patrons. It was a tall man and a small girl, most likely a child. Her green hair was what caught Wisteria's attention the most. She studied the two, and found that not after long the man returned her gaze.

" _Go s-"_

"Hey, you"

The man called out to her, interrupting Esteem. Wisteria was almost happy to have her suddenly shut up.

"You got some kind of business with me?"

His voice was gruff and harsh, the words coming out with anger. He had pushed the little girl behind him in some kind of protective motion.

Looking closer, Wisteria could see the man was of Auri descent, his massive height attesting for that. He glared at her, daring her to make a move towards them.

She stepped towards the two, extending her hand once she was close enough. The man scowled.

"Were you there?" She asked, dropping her hand when it became clear he wasn't going to shake

"Where would that be?" He asked, slowly reaching back towards the sword strapped on his back. Wisteria wasn't looking for any kind of fight.

"Whitebrim Front. Were you there when when knights attacked me?"

The man stopped, his fingers nearly wrapped around the handle, ready to draw it out.

"You're that idiot.."

Wisteria glared at him, displeased at being called an "idiot".

"Sid.. that's not nice.." a small voice chimed in from behind. A little girl's face peered around from the large man. Her face was small and petite, as was the norm for Elezen females. Green hair was neatly braided back, with her bangs framing her face gently. She was pale, not uncommon in Ishgard.

The Aura shifted his focus towards the Elezen, his face softening slightly, but still in a sharpened glare.

"Rielle.." he growled

Her face showed nothing to him, a straight face set into her. She gazed up at him, and then turned her attention towards Wisteria.

"She isnt here to hurt us.." she whispered, her voice nearly silent.

" _Show him."_

Show him what? She snapped back angrily, and was frustrated at receiving no reply. Not only was that unhelpful, but the crypticness served no purpose.

The man dropped his hand back down to his side, no longer preparing to draw his sword.

"You have it don't you? Fray's soulstone."

She could _feel_ Esteem smirk inside her, Wisteria shuddered at this feeling. She fiddled in her pockets for it, bringing out the object and presenting it to the man. His face softened completely, a brief flash of sorrow before he returned to his previous expression

"Where did you get this?" he demanded, his eyes stared directly into hers.

"Fray" she replied, returning his hard gaze with one of her own. She wouldn't let him intimidate her.

"That's bullshit, Frays' dead. We found his Body in the Brume"

Wisteria's gaze broke. Her eyes widened in shock, was that all true then, that Fray had never been there to teach her at all.

"Then..who..? Who gave me this!?" she asked, trembling. "Who..who took.."

" _Me."_

Her whole body shook as she took a step back, falling to the floor after taking another unsure, shaky step. Esteem began to cackle in her head

" _Afraid? Of me? Oh how flattered I am. Up until recently you were treating me like a mentor."_

Wisteria covered her ears, trying to block out her voice in a futile attempt. A shriek had caught in her throat, making her gurgle in fear instead. The man looked at her in concern, unsure as of what to do.

He had no time to decide, Wisteria got up and ran through the bar doors.

 _ **AN: Ahh! Thank you to you people who read this! I never thought my writing would actually be read /w/**_


	12. Fear

_**Fear**_

She looked around for someone, anyone.

Teleporting home had been her first thought after running through Ishgard's slippery streets. The snow that had fallen melted, making the stone paths slick and easy to fall on. She had nearly lost her footing a handful of times, but everytime she had maintained balance.

When she had finally stopped to catch her breath, she was near tucked away into the corner of the small market Ishgard had, the place quiet and nearly isolated. She decided then to go home now, and now she looked for someone to ease her frayed mind

" _There's no one here"_

" _SHUT UP!"_ She screamed at the voice. _**She**_ was the last thing she wanted to hear right now. She desperately scanned her surroundings, hurriedly walking the path to the side of the house up to the upper marketboard.

There she saw Parember, speaking to one of her retainers. They bowed, before promptly leaving her. She would have to do. She briskly walked towards the woman, who had now taken notice of Wisteria, and turned to greet her

"Hey Wisty, how's it- Wist?" Her tone had changed into one of alarm upon viewing her fearful face

"Are you alright?" She asked, gently grasping her shoulder. Wisteria leaned into her hand, grabbing her arm to steady herself. She started sliding to the floor, her legs slowly giving out. Parember grabbed her to keep her from falling.

"Hey! Hey! Wist what's wrong? Thal's balls, you're shaking, what happened?"

Parember gently shook the woman, trying to get a response. She didn't receive one, the woman sliding just a little farther down. She picked the woman up, grabbing her from underneath the arms

"Let's get you inside ok?" she said gently, looping Wisteria's arm around her neck and wrapping hers around the woman's torso, more so carrying her than supporting her.

Not only had they gone inside, Parember had taken her to her room,setting her down on the Tonberry themed bed. She still shook, but less so than when she first had seen her. Wisteria had laid her arm gently across her eyes. She hadn't needed to shield her eyes, since the room was dimly lit by some small lamps sitting on the floor. Parember could only assume she was crying.

She sat in the bed across from hers. One she affectionately referred to as "the guest bed". She would've laid Wist her, if not for the implications it would provide to any curious visitors. So she opted to put her in her bed.

"Do you want some tea?" she asked, softly. She hadn't quite yet been able to get a response from the woman, but nevertheless she would persist. Some warm tea might at least get her to move from her rigid position. She stood and brewed a cup, happily humming as she scooped some tea leaves into the hot water she put into the teapot. Her decision to fetch the tea tray was indeed a good one.

She closed the lid, letting the tea sit for a couple minutes. Her desk was even messier than usual, papers scattered here and there and a ink well on its side, cluttered with writing feathers and utterly empty, books, scrolls, the like. She grumbled about it under her breath. Normally she'd had tidied up before bringing someone here, at least cleaning up her desk. Picking up a book, she gently tossed it towards the pile in the corner of her room. A small cloud of dust plumed up from the pile

She poured a cup of tea, the fragile cup shaking a bit in her hand. She never was a fan of this kind of stuff, preferring something more practical like a mug or a flask. Stuff like this broke too easily. The cup warmed her hand, and the fragrant tea smelled delicious. She carefully brought it over to Wist, setting it down on the bedside table she had in between both beds.

Wist's chest gently rose up and down. She had fallen asleep listening to the sounds of the tea making and Parember fussing with her messy desk. Parember chuckled softly, before dragging the blanket off the spare bed to cover her with.

She slept somewhat peacefully.


	13. Sorrow

_**Sorrow**_

"I remember Mom and Dad used to squabble over it. She didn't birth a boy, so there was no one for my father to teach to wield the Axe like a weapon. Nonetheless, Father wanted to teach me anyway. My mother was horrified, she didn't want her sweet gentle child to bear that kind of strength. If only she could see now.."

Wisteria cradled her sword in her hands. Her room was pitch black, and she was sitting in front of a large mirror. The words came out soft and low, as if they weren't to be heard by anyone. Not even herself

"If only she could see what her precious daughter had done.."

A sickening grin had split across her face. A few days prior, she had noticed her prized sword was misplaced. It was a prize she fairly won from the Primal Ramuh, challenging him for it. The purple blade glowed faintly in the darkness.

It was now back in her arms, having been shoved in a wardrobe hastily.

It was stained in dried blood, generously coated with it. Wisteria was at first horrified, wondering when she had wielded it and what the blood belonged to.

A knock interrupted her thoughts. Someone had news to deliver to her to that day, and it was quite unpleasant.

" _She's...She's dead Wist"_

It echoed in her head. The words spoken to her when she opened the door

" _Wild's dead, Wist..Someone killed her in her room.."_

" _Wild's gone, I'm so sorry"_

Mari's voice hitched, a sob catching in her throat. Wist quietly pulled in the sobbing Mi'qote for a hug. She herself didn't, _couldn't,_ cry. But she felt the overwhelming waves of sorrow and shock wash over her. It had already been a couple of days, and she still couldn't swallow this feeling. Slowly it threatened to consume her.

Wisteria placed her hand on the glass. The cool surface reflected little in the dark. She clenched her hand into a fist, and smashed it through the mirror, a loud shattering cutting across the silence.

A loud tapping came from the door.

"Wisteria? Are you ok? Did something happen?"

She lifted herself off the floor to go answer the door. She'd been holed up in her room for a few days, and many people had come knocking on her door, some even threatening to break it down. The sword slid off her lap with a loud clang.

"What do you want?" She asked. Her voice came out huskier than intended, an effect from whispering to herself so much. She glared down at the visitor.

The Lalafell glared back up at her

"You look like shit you know that?" he replied, folding his arms.

He pointedly sniffed, scrunching his nose. "You smell like shit too. What up and died in your room?"

Wisteria pushed the door to slam it shut, it was held open by the Lala, who glared at her

"Don't give me your temper. Get the hell out of your room, everyone's worried about you, Y'know?"

The man softened his face. Inazuma Set was not one to be angry at someone without a valid reason. It was usually a jest, all done in good fun. It went unappreciated with the Au'ra however, and he quickly dropped his act.

"You should at least get out of your room. You've been holed up there for too long, and sorry to say but _You need a shower_ " He frowned. He had been most concerned for her, but made no point to express that to anyone else.

Without a single word to anyone else, she had simply hidden away. Very rarely did she answer the door, and wouldn't let anyone in.

"What do you want" she repeated again. He hadn't noticed at first, but there were heavy bags under her eyes, and she looked at him quite sleepily. He wondered if she had been getting enough sleep, but quickly realized how stupid a thought that had been

"I want you to come out of your room" he replied sharply, folding his arms tighter. There was a purpose to his little visit. And he intended to see it fulfilled.

"No." She said flatly. There was no point to coming out of her room. No purpose. She didn't want to be mobbed by curious eyes and loud mouthed questions, they were useless. She began to close the door again

Inazuma sharply ripped it open, yanking the door handle from her.

"What's the problem? Too good to even come see or talk to us? Too high and mighty to accept our sympathy and pity. We all know why you're there. Why you hid in your room and refuse to come out. There ain't no point to sitting in there. So just toughen the hell up and get out!"

His bitter rage spilled forth, sudden as it was. He promptly let go of the door, allowing Wisteria to make her choice.

She slammed it shut, and Inazuma heard the lock click into place.

It'd be another several days before she came to answer the door again


	14. Caution

_**Caution**_

Wisteria sat atop of the roof of the house. It wasn't her Companies' house, but rather the neighboring one, closer to the pier. She stared out at the ocean, the waves gentle lapping providing a relaxing ambience. The sun drifted past the horizon, sinking into the water and providing it with a brilliance of colors.

She wasn't quite regretting the decision to leave her room yet. It had been quite some time since she had come to see the ocean.

Her mind began to wander..

How long had it been since she first sailed to this country on those waters? As the sky slowly darkened, she began to wonder. If she hadn't ever come here..If she hadn't met her.

" _It would've still been the same"_ , The gentle whisper provided her an answer. She grimaced. Lately, that voice had been stronger, more aware and..eager. It was eager to talk to her, eager to tell her and to answer her.

" _You couldn't have changed it"_

Esteem was _eager_. And today, she was once again eager to tell Wisteria something. She could almost feel their presence sitting next to her on the roof. She didn't dare shift her sight to check.

" _Do you know who did it?"_ she asked. Her voice nearly drowned out by the crashing of the waves. The high tide had begun to come in, the water crashing into the sand with a powerful had been almost a year now since she met Wild, and nearly 2 weeks after her death.

Wisteria drew into herself, covering her ears, she didn't want to know, she never wanted to know. Something in her told her the answer wasn't something she wanted to know

" _We both know who did it"_ It whispered again. The Waves crashed into the sand, now roaring, the water no longer lit by the sun. She barely heard the voice's next words.

" _You and I, we know. We know who killed your precious lover. We know don't we?"_

Her body shook. She could feel Esteem's next words clawing in the back of her head. They wanted to be said, to be heard. Their presence was almost as overwhelming as hers. She could deny them, she could deny that truth as long as they weren't said. The answer to those questions. Wisteria never wanted to know them

The waves crashed once again

" _We did it"_

Wisteria could not bring herself to scream, the sound had caught into her throat, nearly choking her.  
Or perhaps Esteem had manifested herself and wrapped her hands around her throat. It didn't really matter. Whatever it was, it left her gasping for air, choking back her tears.


	15. Alone

_**Alone**_

Wisteria could not sleep peacefully that night. She would wake in absolute terror. The scene replaying over and over in her head. Esteem wanted something, and she would get it her first attempt.

The screams, the blood, the wound, her voice, her face, her skin. All dyed in blood, her blood. Its scent clung to her memory, the sharp metallic taste manifesting itself in her throat. She gripped her sheet in terror each waking moment. She was quickly overwhelmed, the darkness seeping into her and taking over. Despite lighting a candelabra on her desk, she couldn't see. The darkness swam in her eyes. This particular fit had been incredibly bad, Esteem had replayed the entire event from start to finish. Not in chunks anymore, the whole thing. She had even begun to make her feel what she did then. The sick joy as the sword..

"No more" she whispered, clutching her head in her hands. She couldn't take this didn't want to see or feel it anymore. The emotions clashed and swirled in her, it was confusing, painful. She gripped harder, a slight burning in her throat. She felt ill, ill at the vivid grotesque images. She could remember in excruciating detail the face Wild made as she had died, and the one after death. Eyes rigid in permanent sorrow, mouth dripping fresh blood. The scent was so thick she could still smell it on her skin now

" _Give in"_

"Shut up" she groaned, bringing her knees up towards her. All night, she planned to do this all night. To try to get her to "give in". She refused, she didn't want to know what that meant, not after what she was being shown.

" _Why not?"_

"To hell with you" she murmured harshly. She was met with the same imagery, causing her to wince. The pleading, and then the disgusting sounds of her stomach being pierced. The muscle and skin tearing apart, the blood gushing momentarily from her stomach only to be plugged by the weapon. The stickier blood ripping as she pulled it out and the pained screaming, muffled by the gurgling of blood in her throat.

" _Give in"_

"No"

She saw Wild pushing fruitlessly against the wall she was backed into, as if she hoped it would make way and allow her to escape. She saw the woman's hand bloody and they tried to hold the wound together and stop the bleeding, a pitiful attempt. She saw it in great detail, the red opening in her torso, spewing less blood now to show the cut open muscles and gore. She could barely hear her frantic pleading, and her own voice crooning her name.

" _Wild.."_ Esteem mimicked.

She saw herself raise the dripping pointed edge of her sword towards her throat, gingerly brushing it at the nape of her neck. The woman's pleading was slightly strangled from the pressure and fear

" _Give in"_

She saw herself press it a bit harder, drawing a small bead of blood

" _Go on"_

Slowly raising the sword back, as she stared into the woman's eyes, her voice escaped her softly, her last living words.

"Why?"

" _-"_

Her words were drowned out by the screaming in her memory, the sword quickly plunged through her throat. She twisted it a bit, ripping more of the soft muscle apart. Blood gushed in copious amount from her neck. And soon, the screams were drowned with all the blood gathering in her throat. It dried quickly, creating some resistance when she pulled it out and causing more fresh liquid to ooze out. A small smoke wisp trailed from the tip of her sword, and some steamed from the blood, adding to the thick smog in the room that she had now noticed in her memory.

Wisteria shook harder, the darkness closing in on her. From her hands she saw the same smog pour softly onto her bed, adding to it all. She closed her eyes, a last attempt to maintain sanity.

She slumped over, limp, unconscious. A soft voice cut through her forced slumber

" _Just like that"_

 _AN: Ahh! Thank you for everyone's few (But kind!) words on my writing. I hope that you enjoy what other things I put up!_


	16. Wander

_**Wander**_

Limsa Lominsa upper decks was arguably one of the creepier places to patrol, the Yellowjacket mused. A tall Roegadyn was dressed in the uniform, which was neatly and uniformly put on. He took his job very seriously.

Still, he hated patrolling this area at night. So many dark crevices and alleyways to inspect, sometimes he couldn't even see the light of the Plaza's aetheryte. He steeled his nerves, swallowing as he returned to his stroll.

He made his way around the tavern, the dim lighting from the inside casting a long stretched shadow. He longed to sit inside the bar, and maybe have a drink to ease his worries. His loyalty to his job prevented him however, and he made on his way.

After another round, he encountered another person by the bar. She walked slowly in front of the opening, her steps slow and deliberate. Something about her seemed eerie to him. He took a few steps towards her, hesitating when he became relatively close to her

The woman was dressed quite oddly. She looked as if she was in her pajamas. The shirt cut open at the stomach and held up by thin straps, the shorts cut near her upper thigh, it wasn't proper attire for a stroll. She was even barefoot, as evident by the sounds that echoed with each of her steps.

She was running her hand against the outer wall of the bar, the rough unpolished stone darkened by the low light.

She jolted suddenly, drawing her hand slowly away from the wall. Her face was stretched into a grin as she looked at it, studying it almost. Her eyes gave off a faint red glow.

The Yellowjacket was unnerved by this strange sight. Never had he seen someone act quite like this here, and it spooked him. He called out the woman

"Ma'am?" His voice echoed a bit. He strained to hear the clatter of the bar, but nothing was to be heard, it had become completely silent now.

She rolled her head towards him, giving him a blank stare. He quickly studied her traits, making a mental note of her.

Her short bobbed hair wildly frame her face, it looked quite messy, as if she had just gotten up from bed. Strips of scales sat underneath each of her eyes, a deep red color. 2 smaller patches sat on her lower cheeks, and her horns were large and came down into a low point. He couldn't quite make it out, but he thought there were smaller ones on the tops of her head. He would have to remember to ask someone about her.

She continued to stare at him, as if she was expecting him to speak.

"Ma'am you do know how late it is, don't you?"

She blinked slowly

"You should really go home, it's dangerous for a lady to be alone at night."

The woman sneered at him

"Wouldn't you think it's more dangerous for _you_ to be alone?" she asked him, her eyes trained on him intensely. The Yellowjacket wasn't sure, but he thought her eyes were glowing.

"Why don't _you_ go on home?" She asked again, a mocking tone in her voice. "Aren't _you_ afraid for yourself? Doesn't your own safety concern you? It's not safe out at night after all"

The woman had turned her body towards him, slowly taking steps towards him. Her steps echoed in the silence.

"Not safe, y'know?" she repeated again, still sneering at him, taunting him almost. He swallowed, fear building in him. There was really no reason to be afraid of this woman, and yet..

"Oi! Still haven't finished your round?!" Someone called out from afar. He snapped his attention towards the voice, relieved to find one of his fellow guards jogging towards him, the even larger Roegadyn woman's axe bouncing on her back. She caught up to him, her breathing short and heavy.

"It was time to switch off, where were you?" she asked in short puffs

The man jolted, turning towards the Roe.

"Oh..I just got caught up. Let's go" he rushed past her, and she followed. He threw a glance behind him, checking to see if she was there.

The stones were cold on her feet, and the rough texture dug her into skin. She bit her lip, cursing herself for not getting more properly dressed before she wandered around. At the very least, she should have put on some kind of footwear. The cold chill that rustled her nightgown she could deal with but the shoes? It bothered her to no end.

The dark unlit corners of Limsa Lominsa provided ample places to sneak around, away from the public eye, any prying late night strollers who would cast her a curious gaze. She chuckled, narrowing her eyes to see in the darkness. The red glow dimmed a bit, and brightened again as they widened. She rubbed her eyes in annoyance. Why were they glowing red? She had noticed it staring into the mirror earlier. Instead of her usual soft pink irises, they were now a jagged blood red, emitting a soft glow with them.

"Not as bad", she thought, "As the smoke". Thin grey smoke had trailed from her body as she walked, and when she stopped for a brief moment it pooled around her legs, an ominous mist. She clicked her tongue in disgust, staring down at it. This wasn't supposed to be happening at all. Quite displeasing.

She let out another laugh, one of disdain this time. Everything else was just fine. It had been so long for her, to feel the strength and warm she was feeling now. She clenched her fists, and grit her teeth into a toothy smile. She would take the subtle annoyances for this raw power she felt now. She ran her tongue over her teeth, the two sharp fangs she felt were small, hardly noticeable at first. That was a new one.

She stood completely still now, no longer keeping up her subtle stroll. When did she have these? She pressed her tongue into them more, the tooth jabbing deeper into it until...

Blood. She tasted blood. She hadn't thought them sharp enough to _actually_ cut her tongue. A small steady stream started to trickle, and a throbbing pinprick pain set in. She stuck it out, and ran her finger across the cut. A red smear was on the tip. She was definitely bleeding.

" _ **How Amusing"**_. It was quite amusing, in fact. She hadn't bled in some time either. Although, this wasn't blood from combat, which she desperately wanted now. If only she had the foresight to bring a weapon, then she could pick a fight. The thrill of battle was quite alluring now.

"This will have to do" she muttered. Yes..this was just fine for now. To have complete and utter control, no matter the small, annoying side effects. She would relish this now, while she had the chance. After all, who knows how long it would be before she had this opportunity again? Better to savor it then squander it, she felt. She began walking again. She didn't want to seem suspicious, more than she already was. That prolonged exchange with the man was already causing her great concern. She hadn't meant to catch his attention, but once she had it impulse set in, a simple answer would have been fine but in the end, she taunted the poor soul.

Esteem sighed, her breath creating a small cloud. Perhaps it was time to go back, or at least inside. The chill was beginning to set in, no doubt from the sea water, and it bit into her skin. She rubbed her arms quickly, trying to regain any semblance of warmth. She pressed her fingers into her skin lightly. Apart from the edge of the patches of her scales, the skin was soft, although quite frigid. She lightly rubbed it , applying the same amount of pressure. It was an oddly nostalgic sensation. How long since she truly had a body? An apparition of mist didn't ever really feel the same, no matter how mobile it could be.

Really, it wasn't even that mobile. She spent most of the time waiting for Wisteria to wander back to her, to be taught. And then, Wisteria would absorb what little aether she was made of and she'd become a true part of her. Slowly, but surely.

Esteem sneered. Finally, she wasn't bound to him, but now to her. The man she watched meet his unfortunate end by the holy see. It was truly pitiful to her, to be bested by those who called themselves "Holy Knights". Sheer number was not a problem, really. He had held back, in fear, he hadn't truly fought against them but instead allowed himself to die.

A loud growling interrupted her chain of thoughts. She whipped her head around in fear. What made that noise? Again, she heard it. It dawned on her

"Oh. I'm hungry."

It seemed like the simplest thing, really, and yet it was somehow foreign to her. She frowned, unsure now of what to do. She supposed she could wander back to where she came from under threat of one of Wisteria's company members questioning her late night antics. Or she could stand around here, hungry and cold. A wind had whipped up from the sea water, and bit into her bare skin. At this point, she was almost forced to go back. Her body shivered and she rubbed her arms desperately, trying to keep them somewhat warm

She turned towards the plaza


	17. Esteem

_**Esteem**_

The door creaked loudly as she pushed it open, much to her displeasure. The foyer was empty, the fireplace emanating a dim light. She slowly scanned the whole room before entering, grateful for the immediate warmth the room offered her.

Her stomach growled loudly again. She hadn't really taken note of where they had set food down, and would have to look for it. She glanced to the table next to her, an empty cake tray set on it. Esteem huffed. It wouldn't be that easy for her, it seemed. She looked around again. Maybe the downstairs would offer her something?

Slowly she descended down the stairs, the lighting in the basement even poorer than the foyer. A small lamp flickered a bit, and in the very corner of the room she saw a very refined maid servant in a dainty uniform looking at her.

"It's quite late isn't it?" the maid spoke aloud to her, once she saw Esteem had returned her gaze. A soft tired smile paired with her question.

"Yes..it is very late." Esteem hadn't taken down the time. Once she had gained control of the body, she had immediately set out with it. She vaguely remembered the moon being at the highest point in the sky, the soft light illuminating everything in a pale light. "Probably past midnight"

"I see.." the maid's voice trailed off for a brief moment. "Wandered down for a late night snack?", she giggled softly. Esteems attire certainly insinuated that

"More like a late night meal." She replied bluntly. She returned to examining the messy basement, vaguely recalling someone calling it the "Rumpus room". Many tables and sofas we're strewn about, and next to the maids bar, centered against the wall was a crude stage, complete with spotlights, unlit. The poor lighting came from a moogle themed chandelier above on the many tables. The back corner contained a bell on an incredibly thin pillar striped with blue and red. She could only imagine what this was for.

The maid tilted her head to the side, the soft smile slipping from her face and now being overcome with an expression of concern. "I'd be happy to serve you something to eat then. How about a hot soup?"

Esteem nodded, stepping towards the bar and pulling out one of the cushioned stools before sitting down. She noticed a smaller lamp set onto the table, providing a bit more light. Perhaps it was handheld?

The maid opened a small side door next to her. "I have to borrow the stove from upstairs" she said sheepishly "I don't have my personal one with me". Esteem nodded again, watching her walk by her and then up the stairs. She heard steps on the next staircase as well, and then the sound of the sliding door hitting the wall frame. It went quiet after that, leaving Esteem alone to her thoughts.

Gently she rested her elbow on the table, holding her head in hand. She was a lot warmer now, and she rolled the cloth of her shirt in her other hand. It rustled gently in the silence. She let out a sigh.

The maid's face peered down from the top of the stars, smiling once Esteem met her gaze. "Almost done here" she called out to her quietly, and then disappearing again. As if prompted, her stomach growled again. She heard the upper floor stairs creak as the maid went up them briskly, and slowly down again, the steps slow and careful. She carried a delicate bowl in her hands, which were covered in an ornate towel, presumably so she wouldn't burn her hands. She gently set it down on the table closest to her, among the many scattered in the room.

The contents steamed hotly, a rich looking soup with vegetable and meat chunks heartily stewed in. The bowl was nearly filled to the top, and a spoon was neatly laid across the top. The maid smiled happily at her handiwork before returning to her original place, smoothing out her uniform skirt before sitting down. Esteem sat in the chair behind her, nearly sinking into the plush. There was a loud jarring scrape when she tried to pull it forward and bit and merely resigned to holding the bowl in her lap to eat.

The spoon was hot in her hand, the heat pleasant as she held it. She dipped it into the soup, pulling up a particularly meaty spoonful of soup and carefully placing it in her mouth. Her tongue burned a bit at the hot food, but she sat through it. Slowly she chewed the meat. Something tender, maybe the flank or shoulder of an animal. Greedily she devoured another spoonful, and before long the dish was completely empty. She leaned back, satisfied, sinking into the back of the chair. She figured she should return to her room soon as well, and perhaps rest. She had started to become drowsy now, being full and warm. She drifted off in the chair, a dreamless darkness overcoming her consciousness, clouding her senses.


	18. Panic

_**Panic**_

Her body was sore. She woke up curled up in the furniture in the basement, in one of the most uncomfortable positions imaginable, and with no recollection of why, or how, she was down there. She whipped her head around, looking for someone to ask. The room was empty, not even the counter maid was there.

Slowly she lifted herself from the chair, the fabric leaving marks all over her body where she was pressed up to it. Wisteria rubbed the back of her arm, feeling the indented skin. She had been asleep there for some time from the looks of it, dressed in revealing pajamas. She prayed no one saw her like this at any point in time, it felt a bit indecent to her.

She darted up the stairs and into the hallway where the doors to the rooms where. It must've been quite late in the evening, since she hadn't seen anyone around the house. The door to her room creaked in loud protest as she threw it open and walked inside with some sense of urgency.

Her room was a mess. The sheets of her bed had been dragged well beyond it, hastily pulled off. The chair in front of her desk was knocked over, and several things were littered on the floor around it. Some of her books had been pulled off the many shelves in her room. Her neatly piled stacks of books were now littering the floor every which way. It looked like someone had been stumbling around in the dark.

"What the.." she muttered, taking in the scene before her. She didn't remember making this mess at all. Not that she ever would, she liked to keep things cleaned and organized. A vague, almost distant feeling of amusement lingered in her as she bent over to pick up a tome.

" _Aetherical Studies"_ the cover read.

"I don't remember buying this.." she murmured, as she set it on the shelf behind her. She let out a sigh. It would take some time to pick it all up, but it wouldn't take an obscenely long time. She had plenty of extra space to sort her books into on her shelves, it was simply a task to be done now, rather than later.

She scooped her sheets off the floor and made her bed, untwisting them. It looked like an animal tried to escape from them, and with a sense of urgency. She tucked the ends into the sides of the mattress, and closed the lid as soon as she was done. The hinges creaked before clicking shut, and she let out a hefty sigh.

And something sighed with her. Her eyes widened at the noise.

"Who!?" she yelled, whipping around to look behind her.

Laughter. She recognized this and let out a noise of anger, only serving to make her laugh harder.

" _Scared of me? Should I be flattered?"_

"You.." she muttered, her teeth grit in rage. Her own laughter rang through her head again, louder, clearer. She began to feel fear..

" _Not too long ago you were crying for me. Your precious mentor."_

Wisteria's grip on the book in her hand tightened, causing it to visibly shake.

"You..you're the one responsible for all this shit" she growled, her eyes narrowing at the unforeseen voice. Esteem let out an ominous giggle.

" _Responsible for what?"_ They both knew that answer, a pang of grief hit her like a rock, the book slipped from her hand with an audible clatter on the floor.

" _We aren't truly responsible for that."_

"Shut up" she whispered. If they hadn't been responsible for her death, then who was? Those memories were more than real, they sat in the back of her mind constantly. She slid to the floor, holding her head. It was too much to think about, she didn't want to think about it. She groaned. It was coming back to her again, she couldn't dispel it. The room, the expression, the-

The what?  
She let go of her head, looking up and around at her room. It felt as if suddenly, someone had slammed a wall through her memory, her visions. A pure blackness taking its place, and no matter how hard she pressed she couldn't access it.

A sharp knock came from the door.

"Wisteria? Are you alright in there?"

She jolted, she forgot her plans for today. She was going to help the Yellowjackets investigate with Magnum. Wobbly, she stood up and headed to the entrance  
"I'm fine, just a little woozy" she called out, gripping the door handle. Taking a deep breath she swung it open to be greeted with the Aura's concerned face.

"You don't have to go" he mumbled, looking down at her. Truthfully, she didn't want to go. She and.. _ **her ,**_ didn't want to go anywhere near that house, and that room. But she felt obligated too, and so did Esteem.

" _To cover our tracks"_ she repeated. How desperately she wanted to snip back.

Wisteria knew, Wisteria knew what awaited her upon arrival. She swallowed hard and smiled.

"It's fine Magnum, I should..go pay respects in any way I can" her words felt like they were spilling out messily. She brushed past him brusquely.

They headed over once she was ready.


	19. Worry

_**Worry**_

Something. Wisteria needed to do _something_. She wrung her hands tightly, standing outside the door. It was ajar, the lock and doorknob missing. She faintly recalled smashing it off the evening she came here.

She needed to do something about this. The stench that wafted from the room was abhorred, and Magnum had his nose pinched between his fingers. The corpse had begun to rot inside a bit, and Wisteria guessed it was her stomach and throat that were providing an easy escape to the smell. She blinked back tears. Stay strong, stay strong..

She pushed her shoulder against the door, trying her best to ignore it. It caught on something, and she wriggled through the opening to move it out of the way. A toppled, albeit heavy, lamp was wedged against it and she pulled it up with loud groans. Magnum pushed open the door the rest of the way, muttering about the hinges nearly breaking.

" _We hit it pretty damn hard."_ Esteem mused. Wisteria could feel her smirk and scowled, a sign for her to knock it off. The feeling intensified.

"Dear god.." . Magnum stood in the room agape. His reaction was completely justified with the state of the room and it was no wonder the Yellowjackets were hesitant to even come near the room. Furniture was strewn and thrown about with wild abandon, showing signs of the struggle that happened immediately upon entry. Some of the walls contained large, deep gashes. Wisteria remembered missing her with the sword so many times. She never realized it was this many. The legs of chairs were also caught in the blade's path and were scattered and splintered amongst the carpet.

The curtains laid piled behind Wild's corpse, which was a gruesome sight in of itself. Her head was at a disgusting angle, eyes left wide open and in her terrified death expression. Blood had bubbled, foamed, and clotted in her mouth, leaving it a mess of red. Her skin, already deathly pale in life, was nearly see through.

Wisteria gagged, no longer able to stomach the scene. Her head covered her throat, but her limp, broken, lifeless hand did nothing to shield the sight of her stomach. A large, gaping wound in the middle of her body, the skin and muscle had been eaten away and the light pink flesh curled away from her open stomach. The blood had pooled and congealed in her empty organ, no doubt any scabbing had been eaten away from rot. It hadn't been very long since her death, now 2 and half weeks, but good god..

" _We can't let it stay here"_ Esteem's voice cut through her punctually. Unfortunately, she was correct. Wisteria grimaced at the fact. The longer she let the corpse stay here, the more chance they had of being pinned for this heinous crime. She turned away.  
" _There's no way.."_ she thought, her body trembling. There's no way she can handle doing it, handle touching her dead body. But she couldn't leave the woman here either. Not even for the risk, but..it felt wrong.

" _What am I gonna do"_. She didn't know. Both of them did it. She could feel how much Esteem wanted to say _Hide It_ but..where? And how in the world would she pick up the body?

A disgusting thought crossed her mind.

 _What if it falls apart in my arms?_

Malicious laughter followed it.

" _Serves her right"_ Esteem quipped. Wisteria wasn't sure why, but she felt the _**smugness**_ coming from her. She didn't..even have a body..

"Who did this" Magnums voice was bitter and pained, his dark eyes surveying the room and avoiding the remains of his once friend. Tears puddled on the edge of his eyelids, threatening to spill over.

"I don't know Magnum.." she whispered to him, swallowing hard. They both knew what she had to do, but her feelings on the fact didnt change.

 _She had to hide it._


	20. Malice

_**Malice**_

" _I'll do it, just let me have control"_

The voice made her shiver in the warm air. It wasn't a bad idea, but the thought of letting.. _That_ have control of her again was largely unpleasant, she'd rather not.

Ocean water gently lapped at her bare feet, making the sand under her moist. She had come to think by herself on the beach, letting the sound of the water soothe her. It did little to put her at ease, but she appreciated the quick change of setting. Wisteria let out a sigh.

"Why did things turn out this way?"  
" _I don't know"_

"I didn't ask you, now did I?"

It unsettled her for Esteem to sound so remorseful, but now was not the time to feel pity for her. This past while had been a whirlwind for her, and she barely had time to sit and reflect on all the events that had come up. It was very exhausting to her.

She supposed now was a good time for recollection.

The sand was cold and wet, and she could feel its grainy chill on the back of her legs as she sat down, letting the water climb a bit higher up her legs. It felt almost wrong now to look back on certain things, and she rubbed her temples.

" _The only person I can blame now is...myself"_

Yes, it had indeed been her fault for being so...calm and accepting of her. The overwhelming emotion she felt at that time, coupled with the dawning realization that she would lose someone else had made her so kind to the..phantom? What in the world could you even call her?

" _Part of you"_

" _Crawl into a hole and die, I didn't ask for your input right now"._

Perhaps it would have been wiser to heed her advice from the start, to just bury her and damn her to the seventh hell where she belonged.

" _How cold you've gotten. It's not my fault y'know"_

She snarled back at her, unamused at the spying in her thought more so than before. She relaxed her face after a moment.

"Stay level headed...your irrationality comes up when you're emotional.."

" _Obviously"._

She ignored her and moved on.

"So..I made a grave mistake not pushing it all the way down like I was told, and now...this.. But _why_?"

Truly, why had this been any different from any others taught in her swordsmanship. The man she had met in the bar didn't seem to even understand what had gone on with her, confused as she had been about her gift of the Soulstone.. Ah well, "gift"

She pulled out the faceted gem, running her fingers over it.

"The man...the one from Whitebrim..Hey!"

She shouted suddenly.

"If you can just do as you please, then why didn't you at least help me!?"

" _I wasn't conscious enough. I was dormant still, like I was supposed to be"_

"What the hell is that supposed to mean!?"

She stood in her anger,yelling into the empty beach air before catching herself.

" _You look like a raving lunatic"_

She kicked the water in rage. How unhelpful her **mentor** was. Could she even consider her a mentor at this point? If she wasn't even a physical person..

" _How cute, going to say you taught yourself?"_

She was almost embarrassed at how true that statement was

"Shut up and quit interrupting my thinking you..you...you!"

Her gaze sharpened as she folded her arms. Now..onto her…

She grimaced. Yes..she had to do something about that. The visit earlier today only confirmed the sheer difficulty of that task and leaving that house had been a near blessing.

" _Think you could go back right now?"_

She certainly didn't like having someone peering in on her personal thinking, but at the moment she was all she could confide in.

"Maybe..I was thinking about cutting up the curtain and tying it around.. Uh…"

" _You'd have to wrap her whole damn body in it to keep it from falling apart"_

The image flashed in her head and she shuddered.

"For now...its worth a shot.. I'll go and explain its to help trap the smell in..her cadaver and we'll see from there."

" _Suddenly friendly to me now, aren't you?"_

She huffed.

"As if. You're just the only one who knows."

Wisteria dusted off her legs, scraping the sand off her skin.

"Now or never.."


	21. Wraps

_**Wraps**_

The cottage lights were all turned on, no doubt another Free Company house. She stopped to observe things she had overlooked on her Second visit, trying to steel her nerves as she approached.

The wooden sign on the lawn swayed gently, probably bumped into by one of the investigators as they made their way in. A murder in the housing district was so rare and unheard of it demanded their attention immediately. A threat to civil safety, one could call it.

Among their bright uniforms she spotted a lone, darkly clothed woman.

"Parember?"

Her voice was soft, barely audible over the discussion taking place in the living room of the house. It had been 2 weeks now, and still nothing. Plans were to begin clearing out the room so the inhabitants of the house could once again return to their abode.

The woman turned towards her direction, blinking a couple times before she stepped towards her.

"You're back? I thought you came earlier with Magnum"

Wisteria nodded.

"I wanted to come check on the situation. They're going to clear the room?"

Parember nodded herself.

"It's been way too long to leave things as is, they kinda need their house back. We're probably doing it tonight..at least with the furniture."

It seemed even the thought of touching the corpse bothered her too, and she rubbed the back of her head in silence.

Wisteria took it as her chance.

"Can I go in? I was worried about her body as well so..i wanted to try to see if I could contain some of the smell and...other things in it."

Parember turned her head towards the room.

"You should be good to go in, want me to go with you?"

The woman's eyes softened in concern.

" _It feels like she has ulterior motive."_

" _ **You**_ _have ulterior motive!"_

Her own face hardened at the thought, and she quickly relaxed it to avoid any other concern.

"If you want.."

The other woman called to one of the guards, pointing to the room and receiving a short head motion of approval. She grabbed Wisterias shoulder after, pushing her gently towards it.

" _Actually I take it back I don't wanna do this"_

" _Too late now. Finish what you started._ "

She swallowed hard as they reached the door. It had been cleaned up a bit, allowing for an easier entrance. Things were put upright, at least until you got to... The back of the room. Looks like no one even wanted to go near it.

"So..what was your idea?" Parember asked, her face wrinkled in sheer disgust.

"Ah..find me some shears first, then I can just..show you.."

She let out a strained sigh, holding her hand over her mouth. After a few seconds she approached Wild, tugging at the loose curtain peeking from under her.

"God..before I even do that"

She reached up above her towards the window the fabric had been pulled away from, smacking its frame to see if it would pop open. It did, with a scrape that hurt anyone's ears, and she pushed it away to let in the fresh air

"Good idea" Parember muttered, starting her search. She rifled through the shelves as Wisteria pulled more on the cloth, causing the corpse to shift more. Something in her giggled.

" _You're the worst_ ".

The other woman produced a metal box from her search, opening its rusty lid.

"Aha!" she exclaimed, pulling out some rustic looking scissors, and then setting down the container

"That's perfect."

Wisteria's gaze met her, exhaustion clearly lining her face. She held out her hands for the shears. Once in hand, she turned back towards Wild.

"Hopefully..I can just tie parts of it around her, and at the very least it'll make her movable"

She snipped the scissors a few time, the noise almost soothing, if not in this context. She set to her task once more, bending down and grabbing the bodies legs, pulling her, and the curtain down until she way laying straight.

"Ugh" Parember groaned.

"I know.." She choked back her own tears, sitting on the floor next to her.

Call it divine atonement for what she did.


End file.
